1
as in theme
a major object of interest or concern (as in a discussion or artistic composition)
the motif of mute figures standing in lonely isolation is a recurrent one in the artist's works
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of motif
The white fabric of the coordinated Nike look featured a small cutout motif throughout.
—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
30 June 2026
Joe Kramm | Courtesy of Francis Interiors The gold background is a spread of bold graphic lines, undulating shapes and coiling circular motifs, referencing the work of French artist, sculptor and designer Jean Dunand (1877–1942).
—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
Barkawi incorporated motifs with personal meanings, such as palm trees that represent her name in Arabic.
—
ABC News,
30 June 2026
Designed by Japanese firm GLAMOROUS, some are more floral and feminine (butterfly motifs and purple).
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for motif
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
30 June 2026
Joe Kramm | Courtesy of Francis Interiors The gold background is a spread of bold graphic lines, undulating shapes and coiling circular motifs, referencing the work of French artist, sculptor and designer Jean Dunand (1877–1942).
—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
Barkawi incorporated motifs with personal meanings, such as palm trees that represent her name in Arabic.
—
ABC News,
30 June 2026
Designed by Japanese firm GLAMOROUS, some are more floral and feminine (butterfly motifs and purple).
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for motif
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motif
Noun
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Its summer program is built as a four or five-day series, with each two-hour session focused on a theme like pastry-making or global flavors.
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The first box was the Snack Blind Box, and the second box was the Fiber Blind Box, meaning Wednesday's drop will be one of the other two themes.
Noun
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In this current era of AI disruption and geopolitical uncertainty, there seems to be another gendered pattern in the workplace coming to light.
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Mann and his colleagues have shown an uptick in the frequency of such stuck jet stream patterns, known as planetary resonance events, in recent decades.
Noun
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Mercury stations retrograde in Cancer in your 4th House of Home and Family, bringing old household topics, family patterns, or private concerns back up for review.
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This train of thought quickly gets lost in the sauce as the topic frustratingly switches back to Shamea and her job with the NBA.
Noun
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The white floral print channels the actress’s effortless aesthetic, and the easy-to-style design can be paired with tank tops, T-shirts, or even worn as a strapless swimsuit cover-up for beach days and vacations.
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That design allows researchers to position the ion with greater flexibility while making weak oscillating fields easier to detect.
Noun
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The news comes as Lackland Air Force Base in Texas — home to the Air Force's Basic Military Training program — grapples with a flu outbreak that has infected 275 people in recent weeks, a congressional staffer with knowledge of the matter told CBS News.
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To make matters worse, microbiome testing has gotten cheaper and faster, but not more accurate.
Noun
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By simply looking at the exam paper, the glasses could transmit questions to a connected AI large language models, which generated answers and displayed them on the lenses.
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Gina Martinez, chair of the executive board of the Wilmington Neighborhood Council, said the land in question provides a vital buffer between port activity and residential communities.
Cite this Entry
“Motif.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motif. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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